Container with mechanism for agitating contents thereof



OC' 30, 1951 c. B. MAHAN ETAL CONTAINER WITH MECHANISM FOR AGITATING CONTENTS THEREOF Filed June 25, 1951 INVENTORS. es Afa/raf? /n 5. Ma/W @@MMM.

m m www M 4 c o o 0M i W o Wo o O O f H. o M o M o0 I ,f. w M o M Patented Oct. 3o, 1951 ii f GhalliesaBgfiMahanfand Hardin B. Mcnill, Kansas Ciwy-Mn.

The lpresent invention `relates in general .to

` containers, and it ldeals-moreitiarticularlytwith -a =container havingmeans for f-agitating vthe "conltents-as hy "stir-ring'y or Aheating inf'thee'case of 'f liquid contents, ^or Iley-Subjecting fthe l-con'tents fato -v a breaking action if same #comprise --a -granular material which normally is uenttbutite'nds -to fbecome -caked orencrusted :upon standing.

"The container Vof `-the inventionE thus isfuseful, *Tor examplefasvarstorage Irecepta'clee'forsedimenftary liquids onmixtu'res of-immiscible liquids Athat -as '-a `vreceptacle ffor 'granular 4ma'terals such as salt "orsugar which :sometime become vcalred their -containers (particularly-when vexposeii y:to humid atmospheric conditions) and thus must "tbe-broken "up wto restore n-them --to their-'normal fluent or free-owing state.

Anobject of the inventionds Vtofprovideacontainer"ha-ving a1built-inag`itator and` mechanism for -actuatingfsame; which Vagitator and mechanismghowevenfinino way interfere"with the normal use ofthecontainer and reguiremo` manipulation lor handlinginconnection with Athe; loading andunloading of :the container.

`Another object; isptoprovije a containenhaving an .agitatoractuatng mechanism that cohcealedat alltimesfduringthenormal usejoffthe container, yet may readily-,heiinspected.ionservficingor .fori anyother reasonwithoutdisassembly ,of themechanismonany part thereof. c

A A lfurther A object is -,to-lprovide,a device of V,fthe character indicated whose agitator .is f actuated -by a `very simple manual `manipulation Vonqthe heart; of lthe operators-requiring no sk illwhatever feo f and ,veryflittleielort :Stillfanother Qbjectffrel sides in the provision of a device .offtheffelegollg character 1which :gis rrelativel-y simple and :geco- 1 nomicalto. manufacture, .yet-is-:sturd-y,rlongelived,

- trouble etree :and foolproof r: in `rcmeratien.

Other objects :together vl .with the features .fof

#noveltymhereby the:fobjects'fareachieved;:willgln part be obvious and infpartrpointed outherein- Vlafter.in-'.the''course of the following.- description of :one embodiment -of the "invention.

In 'the `acc'omp'anying -drawings fewhich iform a.

' vpart Vof lthe y'insta-nt -fspeci'cation and fare -v'to tbe Aread in conjunction `theraw-ith,fiand`in'which like "frefer'ence numerals areemployedfto'jidentifyike parts in 'the various fvi'ews:

1-`Fig. 1 is a'sec'tional elevationo'f a containerfor salt- -or lthe like, having mechanism :for vagitating 'the-contents in laccordance@with the "invention, Fig. .12 fisfa vertical cross section 'taken Valong fthe a lineal-e2 .of rliig. :Figs-3i:isafhorizontal.:crossrsectionrtakeng ong zthe 'line :3.-;3 of .Fig 1 "inrthesdirection :the

fposes z of illustration, and

I'Fig.4 isft-afhorizontalf-crossssection taken along :theyline -4-:4 Aof :Eg-zf2fin the directionziofzthe arrows. t

Referring @more particularly to the @drawings uitheedevicethereiillustrated comprisesfaavertically selongated, generally :cylind-ricalgcup I 0,1thea1rlower endof which istelesccping'ly received intheupper fend poi-'fa tubularfshelkorehonsingit2. The lower eend offthe'1atterrisgclosed byfga'circularzbasefplate I4 held insplacezbyrfscrews et. ,f-and'ftheeplate has 1 an integral Acentrally `:located circularboss I 8 to "which an .upstanding cylindricalcollar 20 isgatrftached hy screws-22.

.'Collarf 20, whichrhereinafterewill sometimes abe `rreferred ito vas ythe vtorque `collar fortubefthus'is yco-faXial-zwith,:she1l-I-2;:lout, rassshown, isrsnbstan- 'tiallyA smaller-*in diameter than-the/shellf andealso shorter, so that i-iits upperiend iszapproximat'ely :collar there sare'fa pair of"complementary10am- Aming l.slots -24 :and 26 each :extending along Ya `helical 'orispiral path approximately 180qa1'ound :the axis of fthe collari-so theupperfend of oneffslot is directlyabove kthe lower 'end -ofthezotherrslot Spanning i the torque zcollar .rdiametric'ally -iszza horizontal cross bar 28 carrying at itsopnosite `femzisffaipa-ir of'ifreelyiturn-ing =ro1lers-3tl` which-are received intherlespectivefones gof saidspiral rslots. .,"As A:hesttseen in Fig.,I Y3, 'each -roller is -attac-hedrzto :the `cross :bar iby =a fscrew '32 which extends Ithreugh'f'the roller :and afwasher 34 into `fthefend -ofthe bar.

`Bar :28 :is frigid-lygattached Qto -za vertical fstem 1 or shaft 36 ywhich :extends 'upwardly from @the 'mid-pointfof the :ba1',;and it `istsec-urefdthereto by a cap screw 38 whose head isf-rounded to-'seat 'Iinaihemispherical socket or dimplef4'0 centrally in.rthezidirection;.dfrthesar naled in the bearing hole 52. Below the cup, the stem has an integral enlarged thrust shoulder 54 on which the cup rests, and the portion of the stem within the cup is bifurcated, forming a pair of legs 56 whichy straddle a paddle or agitator 58. The latter comprises an upright plate containing spaced perforations 60, and it is secured to the stem by rivets 64 extending through aligned holes in the plate and legs 56.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the upper end of cup I is reduced in diameter and is externally threaded at 66 to receive a screw cap 68. The cap is perforated as shown at ID to permit use of the device as a salt shaker or as a dispenser for other granular solids. 'i

So long as the salt or other granular material within the cup I is loose and free-flowing, the device is used in conventional fashion, that is to say, by manually lifting it, tilting or inverting it, and shaking to dispense the material through the perforations in cap 68. Of course, when not in use, the unit stands on its flat base in the upright position illustrated. The mechanism is entirely concealed and so far as outward appearance of -the device is' concerned, shell I2 appears merely to be a slightly enlarged continuation of the wall of cup II'I; to the casual observer, in other words, theunit seems simply to be a vertically elongated generally cylindrical container open on the inside all the way from cap 68 down to the bottom plate 64, the side Wall of this container being offset outwardly in its lower portion to relieve the severity of its lines. It presents, therefore, a neat and attractive appearance which may be further enhanced, if desired, by appropriate decoration of the exterior of shell I2 and/or cup IG.

If the salt or other granular material within cup I0 becomes caked so that it will not flow freely from the apertures in cap 68, it is only necessary to press downwardly on cap 38 while the device stands in upright position on a table or other supporting surface. The downward thrust'is transmitted by the bottom of cup I9 via shoulder 54 to stem 36 which in turn transmits the thrust via the rounded cap nut 38 to disk 42 so that the cup moves downwardly into shell I2 compressing spring 44. Cross bar 28, of course, also moves downwardly with the assembly, whereupon the spiral slots 24 and 26 have a camming effect upon rollers 30 and cause the cross bar, stem 36 and paddle 58 to turn clockwise (Figs. 3 and 4).

The upper end of torque collar 2D serves as a stopagainst which the bottom of cup IB abuts to limit the foregoing downward movement of the latter, and when the manually applied downward force is removed, spring 44 obviously will move the cup upwardly, returning it to the position shown. During the return movement the spiral slots 24 and 26 acting on rollers 3S turn cross bar 28, stem 36 and paddle 58 counter-clockwise (Figs. 3 and 4).

By thus reciprocating the cup III vertically relative to the housing I2, that is to say, by pushing down on cap S8 one or more times, paddle 58 is caused to turn rst in one direction and then in the other, traveling approximately 180 in each direction. This will break up the caked condition of the granular solid in cup Ill so that it may be dispensed through the perforated shaker top 68 in the usual fashion.

The construction of the device illustrated in the drawings and described above, makes it possible to obtain the foregoing advantages as well as others which will be self-evident upon con- 4 sideration. As previously suggested, the mechanism by which the stirring, agitating or breaking up of the contents of cup I0 is obtained, is entirely concealed from view and the unit as a whole is neat and attractive in exterior appearance so that it is suitable for use in the kitchen, on the dining table or in other places where appearance is a factor of importance.

Further than this, the construction and arrangement of the mechanism is such that it in no Way interferes with or complicates the loading of cup I0 with the desired material, or with the dispensing of said material from the cup; for loading purposes, it obviously is necessary only to unscrew cap 68 as one would do if there were no agitating mechanism, and it is unnecessary to remove, displace or handle any part of the mechanism. Hidden from view, this mechanism requires no special consideration of any kind on the part ofthe operator who ordinarily is scarcely aware of its existence beyond realizing that something always stands ready torotate the agitator upon pressing down of the cup. The operator therefore is required to have no special knowledge or mechanical ability, for the unit is foolproof, trouble-free and exceedingly simple to use.

At the same time, the mechanism may easily be inspected merely by removing .screws I6 and sliding shell I2 up or down relative to the base plate I4. All of thev mechanism is assembled on this base plate and the assembly will remain intact even When exposed to View by removal of shell I2. This mode of construction, of course, not only facilitates inspection but also makes the device simple and easy to assemble in the first instance, contributing to the economy of manufacture.

Attention also is directed to the fact that in pressing down on the cup I0 -in order to cause rotation of the agitator, advantage is taken of the fact that the operators hand will resist rotation of the cup with the agitator, yet will yield slightly if the latter encounters more than normal .l resistance to turning, as when the contents of the cup are caked in unusually hard condition. By utilizing the operators hand to prevent the cup from turning with the agitator, we eliminate the need for mechanical expediente (such for example, as a vertical spline and groove connection between the exterior of the cup I0 and the interior of shell I2), to prevent turning of the cup. This further simplifies and reduces the cost of manufacture, while at the same time it reduces friction and avoids the binding eifect which would exist in a spline connection in the the like, it will be self-evident that it has many other applications. For example, cup I0 may be used to hold salad oils or dressings made of im- 'mv miscible liquids that tend to stratify upon standing, in which case vertical reciprocation of the cup will cause the agitator to-stir and thoroughly remix the constituents before same are dispensed by pouring; for such use, it is contemplated that the perforated cap 68 would be replaced by a cap having a suitable pouring spout of conventional design.

Again, the device has wide application to industrial fields, for holding sedimentary liquids which require stirring from time to time in order to get into suspension the solid ingredients which settle out upon prolonged standing. For some uses, it may be desirable to substitute an imperforate cap or closure in place of the perforated cap 68; in other cases, the cap may be omitted entirely, or, as previously suggested, a cap having a pouring spout may be substituted. Likewise, depending upon the use to be made of the device, it may be desirable to depart from the specific construction of the paddle 58 shown in the drawings, and substitute other forms of paddles or agitators well known to those versed in the art.

Inasmuch as various modifications of the invention thus may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. 1n a device of the character described, a pair of generally cylindrical cups, the outside diameter of one of said cups conforming to the inside diameter of the other and the closed lower end of said one cup being received in the open upper end of the other cup for telescoping movement of said one cup up and down in said other cup, a vertical shaft journaled in the bottom of said one cup and projecting below same, spring means between the lower end of said shaft and the bottom of said other cup always urging said shaft upwardly, said shaft having an integral annular shoulder abutting the bottom of said one cup for transmitting the thrust of said spring to said one cup, said shaft adapted to move downwardly against the tension of said spring upon downward movement of said one cup relative to said other cup, a torque element iixedly secured in said other cup below the bottom of said one cup and operatively connected to said shaft to rotate same upon axial movement of the shaft, and an agitator in said one cup connected to said shaft to turn therewith.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of generally cylindrical cups, the outside diameter of one of said cups conforming to the inside diameter of the other and the closed lower end of said one cup being received in the open upper end of said other cup for telescoping movement of said one cup up and down in said other cup; a vertical shaft journaled in the bottom of said one cup and adapted to move up and down therewith; camming means in said other cup below the bottom of said one cup for rotating said shaft upon axial movement thereof, said camming means comprising a tubular collar extending upwardly from the bottom of said other cup and containing complementary spiral slots extending helically about the axis of said shaft, and a cross member secured to the lower end of said shaft with the opposite ends of said member received in said slots;r an agitator in said one cup connected to said shaft to turn therewith, a horizontal plate within said collar and spaced above the bottom of said other cup; spring means between said plate and the bottom of said other cup always urging the plate upwardly; and a thrust bearing between said plate and the lower end of said shaft for transmitting the upward force of said spring to the shaft.

3. In a device of the character described, a horizontal base having an upstanding collar thereon, said collar containing a pair of complementary spiral slots extending helically about the axis of the collar, a cross member extending diametrically across said collar with its opposite ends received in said slots, spring means between said cross member and said base always urging the cross member upwardly, a cup spaced above said cross member and having vertical side walls, a vertical shaft journaled in the bottom of the cup and secured at its lower end to the mid-point of said cross member, said shaft having an integral annular shoulder below and against the bottom of said cup and supporting same, an agitator in the cup connected to said shaft to turn therewith, and an annular housing extending upwardly from said base and embracing the side walls of said cup, said housing forming a vertical passageway in which said cup is adapted to move up and down relative to said base.

4. A device as in claim 3 having means for releasably securing said housing to said base.

CHALLIES Bl MAHAN. HARDIN B. MCDILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of ecord in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 636,737 Bagley Nov. 7, 1899 689,170 Drago et al. Dec. 17, 1901 1,337,864 Weisenborn Apr. 20, 1920 1,788,344 Skirvin Jan. 6, 1931 2,356,004 Price Apr. 15, 1944 

